ANALYSIS: President Trump, Twitter and the Constitution

ANALYSIS: President Trump, Twitter and the Constitution

President Donald Trump has used Twitter as one of his most effective tools to communicate directly with the public, but how does that work with the U.S. Constitution?

Dr. Jeanine Kraybill, a political science professor at Cal State University Bakersfield, addressed the issue during an interview on the June 15 episode of “The Richard Beene Show.”

“You can see that it is a markedly different way of talking about issues,” Kraybill said of Trump’s use of Twitter.

Kraybill explained that some of Trump’s issues with the medium have come with his language about his proposed travel ban of those from select Muslin-majority countries, and his decision to block some of his critics, including best-selling author Stephen King.

In recent days, a First Amendment group has begun to question whether it’s constitutional for Trump to block those users, and two of those he blocked to his @realdonaldtrump feed, along with the Knight First Amendment Institute, have sent Trump a letter asking him to unblock them, or they will take legal action. 

Kraybill said the lawyers are arguing is that he is limiting that public forum presented by the president’s participation in Twitter.

“His Tweeting has really gotten him into trouble constitutionally,” she said.

 

Listen to Kraybill's conversation with Richard Beene

Read the Knight First Amendment Institute's Letter

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